Veloso is the fifth of the seven children born to José Telles Veloso ("Seu Zezinho") and Claudionor Vianna Telles Veloso ("Dona Canô"). His younger sister Maria Bethânia, another popular and renowned artist in Brazil, preceded him to fame as a singer in the mid-1960s. He began his career around 1965 singing bossa nova and he has cited his greatest musical influences from his early period as João Gilberto and Dorival Caymmi. (João Gilberto would say later about Caetano's contribution that it added an intellectual dimension to brazilian popular music.) But with such musical collaborators Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Tom Zé, Chico Buarque, and Os Mutantes, and greatly influenced by the later work of The Beatles, developed tropicalismo, which fused Brazilian pop with rock and roll and avant garde art music resulting in a more international, psychedelic, and socially aware sound. Veloso's politically active stance, unapologetically leftist, earned him the enmity of Brazil's military dictatorship which ruled until 1985; his songs were frequently censored, and some were banned. Veloso was also alienated from the socialist left in Brazil becasue of his acceptance and integration of non-nationalist influences (like rock and roll) in his music. Veloso and Gilberto Gil spent several months in jail for "anti-government activity" in 1968 and eventually exiled themselves to London. Caetano Veloso's work upon his return in 1972 was often characterized by frequent appropriations not only of international styles, but of half-forgotten Brazilian folkloric styles and rhythms as well. In particular, his celebration of the Afro-Brazilian culture of Bahia can be seen as the precursor of such Afro-centric groups as Timbalada.
In the 1980s, Veloso's popularity outside Brazil grew, especially in Israel, Portugal, France and Africa. By 2004, he was one of the most respected and prolific international pop stars, with more than fifty recordings available, including songs in soundtracks of movies such as Pedro Almodovar's Hable con Ella (Talk to Her), and Frida. In 2002 Veloso published an account of his early years and the Tropicalia movement, Tropical Truth: A Story of Music and Revolution in Brazil.
His first all-English CD was A Foreign Sound (2004), which covers Nirvana's "Come as You Are" and compositions from the Great American Songbook. Five of the six songs on his third eponymous album, released in 1971, were also in English.
Escapulario
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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De cada dia
Dai-nos, Senhor
A poesia de cada dia
No pão de açúcar
De cada dia
Dai-nos, Senhor
No pão de açúcar
De cada dia
Dai-nos, Senhor
A poesia de cada dia
No pão de açúcar
De cada dia
Dai-nos, Senhor
A poesia de cada dia
No pão de açúcar
De cada dia
Dai-nos, Senhor
A poesia de cada dia
No pão de açúcar
De cada dia
Dai-nos, Senhor
A poesia de cada dia
No pão de açúcar
De cada dia
Dai-nos, Senhor
A poesia de cada dia
No pão de açúcar
De cada dia
Dai-nos, Senhor
A poesia de cada dia
In Caetano Veloso's song "Escapulario," the lyrics are an homage to the beauty and daily struggles of life in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The repetition of "No pão de açúcar de cada dia" (In the daily bread of Sugarloaf) speaks to the everyday struggles that people face and the need for a sense of purpose beyond just surviving. The mention of Sugarloaf, a famous mountain in Rio de Janeiro, signifies the larger context of the city's breathtaking natural beauty contrasting with the daily struggle of its residents.
The repeated plea to "Dai-nos, Senhor, a poesia de cada dia" (Give us, Lord, the poetry of each day) is a prayer for inspiration and creativity within the mundane. It's a call for something greater than the daily grind, asking for the beauty of poetry to infuse every moment of life. The lyrics capture the essence of the Brazilian soul, one of joy, beauty, and the will to live even in difficult times.
Overall, "Escapulario" is a sentiment of hope and a recognition that life is more than just the struggle to survive. It's a call for connection to something greater, whether that be creative inspiration or a spiritual connection.
Line by Line Meaning
No pão de açúcar
In the daily mundane routine
De cada dia
Of each and every day
Dai-nos, Senhor
Grant us, Lord
A poesia de cada dia
The poetry of every day life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Caetano Emmanuel Veloso, Jose Andrade
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind